Artnet News published its quarterly analysis of the most exhibited living artists at over 250 U.S. museums in March 2025, identifying more than 3,700 artists. The top artist is photographer Cara Romero, who appears in multiple museum shows including a major retrospective at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College. Three of the six most featured artists have Native American backgrounds, reflecting a surge in exhibitions celebrating Indigenous art. The list excludes the late Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a Native painter and curator who died in January 2025 at age 85 and would have ranked highly.
This analysis matters because it provides a data-driven snapshot of institutional influence in the U.S. art world, highlighting which living artists are gaining curatorial traction across a broad range of museums. The prominence of Indigenous artists like Cara Romero signals a meaningful shift in museum programming toward post-colonial and Indigenous futurist themes. The methodology, which weights retrospectives and surveys heavily, offers a unique measure of artistic impact beyond market sales or media buzz.